Every good businessperson knows how important an online reputation can be. When it comes to the online reputation of your mobile app the importance does not differ.
Every good businessperson knows how important an online reputation can be. When it comes to the online reputation of your mobile app the importance does not differ. In fact,
in some respects, it is even more crucial, as it can be a direct revenue source. In its most basic form, the online reputation of your app hinges on reviews — good and bad — of its users. While the sway you have with such reviews should be limited, there are also a few things you can do to boost your app’s online reputation.
Aim For Perfection
In relation to your app, you should always aim for five stars when reviewed on a public website or marketplace. Obviously, the best way to achieve a slew of five star ratings is to offer a carefully crafted app. However, it is also important to keep in mind that users have subjective opinions. Some, more experience than others, may have a particular standard they hold in regards to a five star rating. At the same time, there are users, perhaps with less knowledge of apps that are quicker to hand out five stars. In a perfect world the two cancel each other out and you are left with a true rating. However, it seldom does, and instead, an app's rating often sways either higher or lower than its true form.
Don't Cheat
In the pursuit of a positively reviewed app, there can often be a temptation to cheat the system. Some app makers will have associates, or even paid reviewers, falsify reviews for an app without actually using or downloading it. This is a huge mistake from an online reputation and marketing standpoint. If word gets out that you are falsifying your app's reviews, whatever positive standing it had will immediately be negated — tarnished at best. Keep in mind that for the same reasons politicians are not allowed to stand outside the polls paying people to vote for them, you shouldn’t buy positive reviews.
Volume Matters
When aiming to improve your app's online reputation and the reviews users give, it is important to consider the volume of reviews. For instance, if one of your competitors has an overall rating of five stars with 100 reviews, and you have four stars with 1,000 reviews, that is not a fair comparison. Generally speaking, the higher the volume of reviews that your app gets, the more likely your rating is to drop below five or even four stars, regardless of its seemingly perfect design. In this regard, prospective users considering downloading your app will likely notice it has been reviewed more, but still has a high ranking despite falling short to your competitor.
Talk It Up
Perhaps the most involvement you should display in the reviewing of your app is talking about it in a positive light on social media, and in online forums. From creating a Facebook page to starting conversations about your app in forums, maintaining an active presence as users are talking about your app is an art itself.
Conclusion
When attempting the art of boosting your app's online reputation, try to keep in mind that it is mostly a spectator sport. The more you are involved in swaying the opinions of reviewers after they have already made up their mind, the worse it can backfire in terms of your app's reputation. It is best to simply design a well-crafted app, talk it up on social media and in forums, and then let your work speak for itself.
